[cma-l] Digital Divide to become Digital Chasm?

[Jaqui Devereux]

The new Communications Consumer Panel warns of a ‘digital chasm’ if 
super-fast broadband is left to market forces alone:

A market-led approach to the roll out of super-fast broadband, known as 
next generation access (NGA), would probably exclude 40% of the UK’s 
population, Panel member Roger Darlington told the Next Gen 08 
conference in Manchester.

He said that “it matters enormously at both a technical and social 
level”. He warned that if NGA roll out was left to market forces alone 
“today’s digital divide could become for many a digital chasm”. He spelt 
out how this would deny people access to many vital services and 
products such as telemedicine, local authority services and the ability 
to run a business.

The Panel, Roger Darlington said, believes that “We must debate these 
issues now…We see a case even now for introducing next generation 
broadband in those areas, which are at present struggling to obtain 
satisfactory performance levels of current generation broadband.”

http://www.communicationsconsumerpanel.org.uk/Roger%20Darlington%20Next%20Gen%2008%20Conference.pdf

If you would like to get updates from the Panel directly then contact Ofcom:


contact at communicationsconsumerpanel.org.uk


-- 
Jaqui Devereux

Director
Community Media Association

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